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lord privy seal answered, "Yes indeed, Sir." The king said, "And why?" My lord answered, " Because, if it please your majesty, it was the seat of "the greatest monarchy, and the seminary of the "bravest men of the world, whilst it was heathen: "and then, secondly, because afterwards it was the "see of so many holy bishops in the primitive "Church, most of them martyrs." The king would not give it over, but said, " And for nothing else?” My lord answered, Yes, if it please your majesty, "for two things more: the one, to see him, who, they say, hath so great a power to forgive other men "their sins, to confess his own sins upon his knees "before a chaplain or priest: and the other, to hear "Antichrist say his creed."

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36. Sir Nicholas Bacon being appointed a judge for the northern circuit, and having brought his trials that came before him to such a pass, as the passing of sentence on malefactors, he was by one of the malefactors mightily importuned for to save his life; which, when nothing that he had said did avail, he at length desired his mercy on account of kindred. "Prithee," said my lord judge, "how came that in?" "Why, "if it please you, my lord, your name is Bacon, and "mine is Hog, and in all ages Hog and Bacon have "been so near kindred, that they are not to be sepa"rated." "Ay, but," replied judge Bacon, "you and "I cannot be kindred, except you be hanged; for Hog is not Bacon until it be well hanged."

37. Two scholars and a countryman travelling upon the road, one night lodged all in one inn, and supped together, where the scholars thought to have put a trick upon the countryman, which was thus: the scholars appointed for supper two pigeons, and a fat capon, which being ready was brought up, and they having sat down, the one scholar took up one pigeon, the other scholar took the other pigeon, thinking thereby that the countryman should have sat still, until that they were ready for the carving of the capon; which he perceiving, took the capon and laid it on his trencher, and thus said, "Daintily contrived, every man a bird.”

HIS LORDSHIP'S PREFACE.

JULIUS CESAR did write a collection of apophthegms, as appears in an epistle of Cicero; so did Macrobius, a consular man. I need say no more for the worth of a writing of that nature. It is pity Casar's book is lost: for I imagine they were collected with judgment and choice; whereas that of Plutarch and Stobæus, and much more the modern ones, draw much of the dregs. Certainly they are of excellent use. They are mucrones verborum, pointed speeches. The words of the wise are as goads, saith Solomon. Cicero prettily calleth them salinas, salt pits, that you may extract salt out of, and sprinkle it where you will. They serve to be interlaced in continued speech. They serve to be recited upon occasion of themselves. They serve if you take out the kernel of them, and make them your own. have, for my recreation amongst more serious studies, collected some few of them*: therein fanning the old; not omitting any, because they are vulgar, for many vulgar ones are excellent good; nor for the meanness of the person, but because they are dull and flat; and adding many new, that otherwise would have died.

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* This collection his lordship made out of his memory, without turning any book. Rawley.

A

COLLECTION OF APOPHTHEGMS

NEW AND OLD.

1. QUEEN Elizabeth, the morrow of her coronation, it being the custom to release prisoners at the inauguration of a prince, went to the chapel; and in the great chamber, one of her courtiers, who was well known to her, either out of his own motion, or by the instigation of a wiser man, presented her with a petition; and before a great number of courtiers, besought her with a loud voice, "That now this good time, "there might be four or five principal prisoners more "released: those were the four evangelists and the "apostle St. Paul, who had been long shut up in an "unknown tongue, as it were in prison; so as they "could not converse with the common people." The Queen answered very gravely, "That it was best "first to inquire of them, Whether they would be "released or no."

2. Queen Ann Bullen, at the time when she was led to be beheaded in the Tower, called one of the king's privy chamber to her, and said unto him, "Commend me to the king, and tell him, that he "hath been ever constant in his course of advancing "me; from a private gentlewoman he made me a "marchioness; and from a marchioness a queen; "and now, that he hath left no higher degree of earthly honour, he intends to crown my innocency "with the glory of martyrdom."

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3. His majesty James the first, king of Great Britain, having made unto his parliament an excellent and large declaration, concluded thus; "I have now given you a clear mirrour of my mind; use it there

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ner to do the deed : and they shewed her the weaport wherewith he thought to have acted it. And therefore they advised her that she should go less abroad to take the air, weakly attended, as she used. But the queen answered; "That she had rather be dead, "than put in custody."

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15. The lady Paget, that was very private with queen Elizabeth, declared herself much against the match with Monsieur. After Monsieur's death, the queen took extreme grief, at least as she made shew, and kept in within her bed-chamber and one antechamber for three weeks space, in token of mourning: at last she came forth into the privy-chamber, and admitted her ladies to have access unto her; and amongst the rest my lady Paget presented herself, and came to her with a smiling countenance. The queen bent her brows, and seemed to be highly displeased, and said to her, "Madam, you are not ignorant of my extreme grief, and do you come to me with a "countenance of joy?" My lady Paget answered, “ Alas, if it please your majesty, it is impossible for me to be absent from you three weeks, but that “ when I see you, I must look cheerfully.” “ No, no,' said the queen, not forgetting her former averseness to the match, "you have some other conceit in it, "tell me plainly." My lady answered, "I must "obey you; it is this. I was thinking how happy your majesty was, you married not Monsieur; for seeing you take such thought for his death, being "but your friend; if he had been your husband, sure "it would have cost you your life."

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. 16. Henry the Fourth of France his queen was young with child; count Soissons, that had his expectation upon the crown, when it was twice or thrice thought that the queen was with child before, said to some of his friends, "That it was but with a

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pillow." This had someways come to the king's ear; who kept it till such time as the queen waxed great: then he called the count of Soissons to him, and said, laying his hand upon the queen's belly; "Come, "cousin, is this a pillow ?"-The count of Soissons

answered, "Yes, sir, it is a pillow for all France to

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sleep upon.'

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17. King Henry the Fourth of France was so punctual of his word, after it was once passed, that they called him, "The king of the faith.".

18. The said king Henry the Fourth was moved by his Parliament to a war against the Protestants: he answered, "Yes, I mean it; I will make every one "of you captains; you shall have companies assigned "you." The parliament observing whereunto his speech tended, gave over, and deserted his motion.

19. Queen Elizabeth was wont to say, upon the commission of sales, "That the commissioners used "her like strawberry wives, that laid two or three great strawberries at the mouth of their pot, and "all the rest were little ones; so they made her two " or three good prizes of the first particulars, but fell straightways.'

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20. Queen Elizabeth used to say of her instructions to great officers, "That they were like to "garments, strait at the first putting on, but did by "and by wear loose enough."

21. A great officer at court, when my lord of Essex was first in trouble; and that he and those that dealt for him would talk much of my lord's friends, and of his enemies, answered to one of them, "I will tell “you, I know but one friend and one enemy my lord "hath, and that one friend is the queen, and that "one enemy is himself."

22. The book for deposing king Richard the Second, and the coming in of Henry the Fourth, supposed to be written by doctor Hayward, who was committed to the Tower for it, had much incensed queen Elizabeth; and she asked Mr. Bacon, being then of her counsel learned, "Whether there were any treason contained in it?" Who intending to do him a pleasure, and to take off the queen's bitterness with, a merry conceit, answered, "No, madam, "for treason I cannot deliver opinion that there is any, but very much felony." The queen, apprehending it gladly, asked, "How? and wherein ?"

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